My 3 tips on travelling when pregnant
I’m currently 6 month pregnant (26 weeks) and I’m about to embark on another flight with my little girl safely tucked up inside my tummy.
This will be the third time I have flown since being pregnant and as a nervous flyer also, I find that preparing now physically and mentally has become a part of my travel routine.
There is so much advice out there about flying whilst pregnant and I make no claims to be a medical professional on this, but simply sharing what I do and what helps me.
Please always speak to your doctor, midwife and take a look at the NHS website before flying.
- Drinking plenty of water
I’m usually so bad at this and I’m always conscious of getting dehydrated when flying. Since becoming pregnant, I find that I don’t really want fizzy or flavoured drinks and have swapped them out for water...so much water. Before flying, I always pop to Boots for a meal deal to take on the plane with me and will buy two large bottles of water. Depending on the flight time I like to try and drink a bottle before the flight and then the other during. Sometimes I will buy a third bottle, depending on the flight duration and transport links to the next destination.
- Get up and Go
There’s a greater risk when flying and pregnant of developing deep vein thrombosis so more than ever it’s important that you keep the circulation moving in your body.
I try to opt for an aisle seat or be sat next to something who doesn’t mind getting up to let me stretch my legs in the aisle of the plane. Every 15-20 minutes I will rotate my ankles and stretch my calf muscles out; if I have space I will also stretch my arms above my head and move my body from side to side.
Another option is to go with flight socks to help keep your circulation moving. I’ll be opting for a pair of these on our next flight to Copenhagen.
- Deep Breathing and Relaxation
As a nervous flyer, I always try to take a deep breathe in and slowly release it out over three seconds. This really helps to keep me calm and if I am nice and calm then I hope that my baby will be too.
To help me relax further, I always spray a relaxing spray onto my neck, temples and palms, which I find really helps me, then I will grab my magazine or book or watch a film and try to relax for the rest of the flight.
Before any flight or travel, I’ve also always spoken to my midwife and would recommend that you go too! Always take your pregnancy notes with you when travelling and also check out where the nearest hospital is to your destination - just to be on the safe side.
That’s it from me! I’d love to hear your pregnancy travel tips below too.
